By
Andrew Stackpool
NEW
headquarters for the Combat Support Unit Pearce, Nos 79 and 25
Squadrons and a force protection facility are elements of a major
upgrade of facilities planned for RAAF Base Pearce.
About $87 million will be spent to upgrade infrastructure, security,
training and operational facilities at the base. Other works include
new single live-in and transit accommodation, a new or upgraded
fuel farm, new hangar and hardstands.
A strategic business case and base master plan are being developed
to identify the scope of the works. While these are still in their
early stages, the planned submission is intended to be submitted
to the Parliamentary Works Committee by mid-late 2006.
Construction is anticipated to start in 2006 and be completed
within three years. Acting Base Commander, Wing Commander Stephen
Bonney, said personnel at Pearce were excited about the future
facilities.
“A lot of the base was built in the 1930s and ’40s,” WGCDR Bonney
said. “It is still fully functional but a lot of it is ageing,
nearing the end of its design life, and is expensive to maintain.
“There are workplace OH&S impacts and the upgrades will improve
base capability. “The guiding principle will be minimising the
impact on base operations to ensure operations continue while
construction goes on in the background.”
WGCDR Bonney said there was a lot of hard work yet to be done,
but base personnel were equal to the task and were committed to
ensuring the development proceeded smoothly and met future base
requirements.
“It is important that we hand on a good inheritance to our successors.
Some of us are hoping we may still be around to see it come to
fruition,” he said.
Defence is managing the works under normal project processes.
However,
the option of a public/private finance and management arrangement
along the lines of the one being used to construct the new joint
operational headquarters at Bungendore, NSW, is also being examined.
New
Look
Infrastructure
upgrades include:
